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Category Archives: Yoga History

The word “yoga” means “coming together”. It refers to the coming together of the individual and the higher being, greater consciousness. Yoga is one of the 6 orthodox systems of Indian Philosophy. As a philosophical system Yoga was collated, coordinated and systematised by Patanjali. The sources are not clear whether he or she was a real person or a group of people or an imaginary personality. The general use is that he was a he and a real person. Patanjali summarised the yoga system in 185 sutras – concise and terse aphorisms. This little book starts with a definition of yoga in the second sutra. So, yoga is “citta vritti nirodhah”, that is “calming the distractions of the mind”. The distractions of the mind need to be calmed in order to achieve the level of meditative clarity to come in unison with supreme being.

In another (not very different) view, the mantra “OM or AUM” represents God, the absolute and the vibration of the Supreme. It is pronounced with a strong nasalised or hummed m.Thus, A-U-M represents the divine energy (Shakti) united in its three elementary aspects:

A- Bhrahma Shakti (creation),

U – Vishnu Shakti (preservation),

M – Shiva Shakti (liberation, and/or destruction).

Maybe, in a more modern understanding, we can think of these letters to represent the beginning/birth, the process of life and the death/end of the universe or all things.

When chanted at the beginning of the yoga practice, it sets the tone of the class and helps bring concentration to the mind, marks the beginning and the end of the class. In order to achieve a state of content, yoga needs to be practiced with focus and presence of mind. So, the resonance that occurs during the chant creates a sense of relaxation and helps with the elasticity needed to expand the lungs further.

I, personally, stick to the latter understanding and that is why I like to chant at the beginning and at the end of each class.

The following text is an excerpt from “A 4000 year old Leper’s Tale‘. The skeletons are found along with much older skeletons of lepers and artefacts at an excavation at Balathal, Rajasthan.

“Two other skeletons were also obtained from Balathal, but of a later date[3]. They were found in the padmasana or samadhi posture — a striking evidence of yoga practice and burial of people perhaps regards as spiritually advanced. Even now in India, spiritually advanced people are not cremated, but buried.